“Watch out,” she shouted – but too late. Santa’s skate hit a stick in the ice. He fell and twisted his ankle.

Mrs. Santa and an elf doctor named Drizzle rushed Santa home and put an ice pack on his ankle. Drizzle examined the injury. “A very nasty sprain, Sir,”

“Oh, I’ll be right as snow by morning,” Santa said. Drizzle shook his head.

“I must get up and pack the toys in the sleigh,” Santa said. But when he tried, he found he could not stand on his hurt ankle.

Santa had an awful thought. What if I can’t drive the sleigh tonight? What if children wake up Christmas morning and find no toys?

Santa looked at Mrs. Santa. She saw the question in his eyes. Could she drive the sleigh and fly around the world delivering the toys this year?

Mrs. Santa remembered how dizzy she felt flying above ground in Santa’s plane.

She also thought about how sad boys and girls would be if they woke up Christmas morning and found no bikes and games and dolls under their Christmas trees.

She looked into Santa’s eyes and saw through to his kind and loving heart.

Santa whispered to her, “On Christmas Eve night there is a magic stream of light. Follow it and you will not get lost. But you must be home by morning.”

Tundra began barking. “O.K., girl, you can come along,” Mrs. Santa said.

Tundra jumped into the sleigh.

There was a jolt as the reindeer and sleigh rose into the sky.

Mrs. Santa shut her eyes. When she opened them, Christmas lights shone below. Stars shone above. She felt dizzy, but a good kind of dizzy.

One was a doll for a girl named Sydney. The other was a book for her brother, Ian.

It was very late, though, and Mrs. Santa remembered Santa’s warning, “Be home by morning.”

But Sydney and Ian had been good and she wanted them to have the toys they'd asked Santa for.

One more delivery!” she shouted to the reindeer.

By the time she delivered the toys, the sun was rising. Mrs. Santa could no longer see the magic light.

It began to snow.

The reindeer circled around and around in the sleigh.

“We are lost!” she cried.

Tundra took Mrs. Santa's mittened hand into her mouth and tugged.

“Let go, Tundra!” she shouted. “I must think of what to do!”

Tundra barked and again tugged her hand. Mrs. Santa realized that Tundra was trying to help.The dog could find her way in a blizzard – maybe she could guide them through the snowy skies.

“OK, girl, take us home to Santa!”

When Tundra tugged her right mitten, Mrs. S. steeredright. When Tundra tugged her left mitten, she steered left.

Soon Mrs. S. began to recognize the icy ground of the North Pole.

She saw elves and dogs and Santa waving his crutch.

“Jolly Christmas, hooray!” they shouted.

“Jolly Christmas, hooray!” she shouted.